2023-24 Highlight Report: 2SLGBTQI+
Reporting on progress to address violence against Indigenous 2SLGBTQI+ people.
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Introduction
In response to the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls' Final Report and Call for Justice 1.1, the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQI+ People National Action Plan (National Action Plan) was released on June 3rd, 2021. The Federal Pathway to Address Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQI+ People (Federal Pathway) is the federal government's contribution to the National Action Plan. As National Action Plan partners, the 2SLGBTQI+ Committee contributed their own action plan tailored to the specific needs and priorities of 2SLGBTQI+ people. The following report, which is a part of the 2023-24 Federal Pathway Annual Progress Report, highlights Federal Pathway initiatives that have made progress in 2023-24 towards the priorities identified in the MMIWG2S+ National Action Plan.
Immediate Action to Support the Safety of 2SLGBTQI+ People
A top priority in the MMIWG2S+ National Action Plan is support for ongoing capacity building and infrastructure development to support culturally relevant, safe, and supportive 2SLGBTQI+ facilities. To date, several Federal Pathway initiatives have advanced work on housing and infrastructure that is culturally relevant and specific for 2SLGBTQI+ people.
As part of the Gender-Based Violence Research Initiative, a joint initiative between Women and Gender Equality Canada and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, the four-year research project "Building Indigenous Legal Lodges: Restoring Access to Justice and Preventing Violence Against Indigenous Women, Girls, Trans, and Two-Spirit+" was announced as one of the recipients in May 2023.
Indigenous Services Canada's Pathways to Safe Indigenous Communities Initiative has also funded projects that improve the safety and wellbeing of 2SLGBTQ+ people. For example, funding in 2023-24 continued to support:
- Mnaamodzawin Health Services to provide culturally competent health, education, and social services to the 2SLGBTQI+ community on Manitoulin Island.
- Migisi Sahgaigan (Eagle Lake) First Nation to support an Indigenous Mentor to provide support, education, and services to members of Eagle Lake First Nation who identify as 2SLGBTQI+.
- The Aboriginal Friendship Centres of Saskatchewan have received funding to create networks of Indigenous women and 2SLGBTQI+ individuals, build capacity and knowledge sharing in safe and culturally relevant ways, and encourage the coalitions to make change in their communities by creating partnerships.
Federal 2SLGBTQI+ Action Plan
The government of Canada launched its first Federal 2SLGBTQI+ Action Plan in August 2022 following engagements with 2SLGBTQI+ organizations subject-matter experts, advocates, and individuals from 2SLGBTQI+ communities. The Action Plan is coordinated by Women and Gender Equality Canada and outlines six priority areas, including one focused on supporting Indigenous 2SLGBTQI+ resilience and resurgence.
The Federal 2SLGBTQI+ Action Plan commits to providing up to $40 million in total to strengthen the capacity of 2SLGBTQI+ organizations through the 2SLGBTQI+ Community Capacity Fund and up to $35 million in new grants and contributions funding through the 2SLGBTQI+ Projects Fund and is working to implement this funding. This year, as part of this funding, 12 2SLGBTQI+ organizations with Indigenous memberships received a total of $3.6 million in funding under both the 2SLGBTQI+ Community Capacity Fund and 2SLGBTQI+ Projects Fund. Since the federal 2SLGBTQI+ Action's Plan's launch, Women and Gender Equality Canada has completed the first phase of its public awareness campaign to enhance inclusion and break down stigma and discrimination against 2SLGBTQI+ communities. A report on the findings of this phase is available to read online.
Improving Services for Indigenous 2SLGBTQI+ People
The MMIWG2S+ National Action Plan states the need to expand and improve services relevant to Indigenous 2SLGBTQI+ people. In response, the federal government has invested in Indigenous 2SLGBTQI+ service delivery.
Through the Addressing Anti-Indigenous Racism in Canada's Health Systems initiative, Indigenous Services Canada has invested approximately $2.85 million for three projects that primarily benefit 2SLGBTQI+ Indigenous people. As part of this initiative, funding has been provided to support the following 2SLGBTQI+ projects:
- Pauktuutit's Sexual Health Youth Forum;
- Support for 2 Spirits in Motion to participate in national policy discussions; and,
- The Fostering Open Expression Amongst Youth (FOXY) initiative.
Additionally, through Health Canada's Addressing Racism and Discrimination in Canada's Health Systems Program, funding was provided to Les Femmes Michif Otipemisiwak for their project titled "Métis Women and 2SLGBTQI+ Gender Diverse Perspectives on Palliative and End-of-Life Care," which has the aim of distributing a co-developed What We Heard report to stakeholders and partners based on key insights and experiences gathered from focus groups and a virtual verification session. Health Canada is committed to continuing to address the unique needs and experiences faced by 2SLGBTQI+ communities.
Through Women and Gender Equality Canada's funding to Increase the Capacity of Indigenous Women's and 2SLGBTQI+ Organizations, over $1.5 million has been allocated to four organizations that identified Indigenous 2SLGBTQI+ individuals and communities as a primary population they serve across the country. For example, this year funding continued to support 2Spirit Manitoba to work in collaboration with Rainbow Resource Centre to develop GBV-related resources for 2-Spirited Indigenous Queer (2SIQ) community members and allies within Manitoba, including the creation of a 'safer spaces' guide for gender diverse and trans Indigenous community members, and developing a tool for 2SIQ inclusion at Trans Day of Remembrance events.
Improvements to the Indigenous 2SLGBTQI+ Data Landscape
Call for Justice 18.4 and the MMIWG2S+ National Action Plan identify the need for comprehensive statistical data on 2SLGBTQI+ individuals. In 2023-24, improvements have been made that advance the data landscape as it pertains to 2SLGBTQI+ people.
This year, Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada continued to fund two data projects that aim to improve the 2SLGBTQI+ data landscape through its Indigenous-Led Data Research Projects Program:
- Ontario Federation of Indigenous Friendship Centres have received funding to fundamentally change the way information about Indigenous 2SLGBTQI+ individuals and communities is gathered, analyzed, and shared, by developing innovative Indigenous community-driven approaches, strategies and resources.
- The Wabanaki Two-Spirit Alliance received funding to hire a full-time data and research coordinator, develop workshops and a knowledge-sharing strategy, build partnerships to enhance data-gathering tools with a Two-Spirit focus, and engage key Two-Spirit partners nationally and internationally to enhance Two-Spirit 2S data-gathering and research.
In 2023-24, the Disaggregated Data Action Plan led by Statistics Canada, made advancements regarding the disaggregation of Indigenous identity and sexual orientation for several surveys including the Canadian Community Health Survey, Survey of Safety in Public and Private Spaces, General Social Survey, and Canadian Housing Survey, amongst others. Including variables on Indigenous identity and sexual orientation enables a better understanding and assessment of socioeconomic and health outcomes of the Indigenous 2SLGBTQI+ population.
For example, because of the inclusion of Indigenous identity and sexual orientation in the Survey of Safety in Public and Private Spaces, the MMIWG2S+ Horizonal Initiative was able to include a new indicator on the percentage of Indigenous 2SLGBTQI+ people who report experiences of gender-based violence. This indicator and its corresponding target will be reported in the 2024-25 Crown-Indigenous-Relations and Northern Affairs Canada Departmental Report.